For years, Venger Estate had stood alone and forgotten at the end of a forested road at the edge of Harperstown. The ramshackle mansion loomed menacingly behind the overgrown frontage to Pearl Street. It was the only residence on Pearl Street, though long abandoned by the wealthy families that once dwelt there. A thick forest lined the rest of the road on either side with impenetrable shadows between the trees under the Hallow's Eve sky.
A line of costumed guests began at the door and wound all the way out onto the circular driveway. They all chatted in small groups, discussing the biggest event of the evening and how they each managed to get an invitation.
"I heard they did some renovations yesterday just for tonight!"
"Do you think they own the property now? Whatever happened to the Vengers?"
Anna listened to the women behind her gossip as she stuck her head up to try and gauge how much crowd was left between her and the mansion. Had she known she'd be spending so much time out in the cold that night, she would have worn a warmer angel costume rather than one that showed off so much of her legs.
"What's taking so long?" she asked Elsa, whose demon costume complemented her own except for black rather than white, horns and a tail rather than feathery wings and netted stockings beneath a dress that was just a bit shorter than Anna's own. Anna was a little shocked Elsa would wear something so revealing, but as Elsa told her, it was a night meant for mischief.
"It looks like people are stopping at the door," Elsa observed.
Eventually, they made their own way up the concrete entry steps where the mystery was explained. Anna's brow furrowed as she and her sister watched a pair dressed as a dish and spoon scrape their names into one of the pillars supporting the portico. She exchanged a weary look with Elsa as they stepped up to the door.
Standing on the threshold was a withered old butler who didn't so much as have a smile to greet them with. His milky eyes darted from Elsa to Anna and then fixated on the pillar just to the side of them.
"Welcome… rumor has it there's a curse upon this household that will bring someone great fortune or misfortune, depending on the purity of their heart. Are you brave enough to join us this evening?"
Anna could see Elsa biting her lip to keep from snorting at the butler's grave greeting. She herself found the whole thing too creepy.
"Ahem… yes, we're brave enough," Elsa answered for both of them.
Anna held in a groan. The last thing she wanted was for a spooky old house to put a curse on her, not that she put much stock into curses or anything. But if ever there was a night for bad luck, wouldn't it be Halloween?
"Then, please…" The butler shakily lifted one grey hand toward them, making Anna gasp when she saw the glinting knife in his grasp. The sisters threw their arms around each other and squawked in fright until the old man slowly turned the weapon's handle toward them. "..errr, your names, please."
Anna blinked. Then, Elsa blinked. When they realized he was not in fact going to assault them, they cleared their throats and tried to play it off coolly as Elsa took the blade from the butler.
"So we just carve our names and you let us in? That's how this works?" Elsa asked.
The butler nodded. Anna was afraid his head would roll off with the motion.
"Elsa, I don't know if it's such a… Elsa?" When she looked, she saw Elsa was already at the pillar, half-way through her name. Anna held in a whimper as her sister held the knife out to her afterward.
"Do I have to?"
Elsa raised one eyebrow. "You were excited to come to this party, Anna… now, come on."
Anna shook her head at first. "I didn't think there'd be any curses involved!"
Elsa scoffed. "They're just making that bit up for effect. Now, come on. People are waiting behind us!"
Someone in a duck costume shook a gloved fist in impatience. "Yeah, people are waiting behind you!"
Anna looked down at her feet as she accepted the knife from Elsa and turned toward the pillar. Her heart thundered like a race horse approaching a cliff's end as she shakily dragged the point of the blade down in the first stroke of the first letter of her name. She paused and glanced back at her older sister, who gestured for her to hurry.
Anna gulped and dragged the knife back down from the same point of origin, connecting the lines with a smaller one in the middle.
A
What was the worst that could happen? It was just a party! She had heard somewhere that names had power, though.
N
She had to laugh at herself. The Diz Corp wouldn't host a party at a venue that was actually haunted.
N
She and her sister were perfectly safe here.
A
She stared at the names on the pillar for a moment, her breath catching when she recognized a certain one. Her fingertips tingled oddly as she turned away and handed the weapon back to the grim butler, who stepped aside to let the sisters in to the party.
About an hour into the event, Anna had forgotten all about the pillar. Diz Corp had really gone all out with party decorations. The entryway featured a bloody fountain, the bubbling red contents of which were actually blood orange and pomegranate punch. There were cobwebs, black lighting, warped and broken mirrors, serving staff dressed as goblins who offered trays of finger food, some of which had been made to look like severed fingers. Speakers had been added all throughout the first level and, Anna assumed, the rest of the house, to blend in with decorations so that music could be heard no matter what room guests went to.
She made her way from room to room, careful not to veer too close to anyone dancing. She learned her lesson after she got pulled in for an uncomfortable few rounds of twirling with a guest dressed in wolf costume. She couldn't even see if she knew the person because of the gruesome mask over their head. Eventually she yanked herself free and waved before she darted on to the dining room. There were all sorts of hors d'oeuvres and miniature desserts splayed out across the long table. Anna squeezed between two chatty groups of guests to grab herself a chocolate macaroon. As her hand closed over it, a larger gloved hand closed over hers, having reached for the same dessert. Anna looked up and felt her heart do somersaults when she met a green-eyed gaze across the table.
"Hans!"
She covered her mouth with her free hand, her other still trapped between his palm and the macaroon. His lips spread into a slight grin which revealed a pair of fake fangs. She ran her eyes over the rest of his costume – the red and black satin cape, brocade and flocked velvet vest with a dark shirt, a crimson ascot neck piece and cloth gloves.
"Anna," he greeted her in return, carefully lifting her hand up from the dessert tray to brush his soft lips against the back of her hand.
Her mouth twitched as she fought her own foolish smile, but the smile won the battle. She squawked as one of the goblin servers suddenly appeared on her right to lay more napkins on the table. After a mumbled apology for startling her, the server left. When Anna looked back across the table, Hans had gone.
Then, she heard his silvery voice in her ear.
"That costume suits you, by the way."
Her cheeks heated up. She wasn't sure whether it was the compliment itself or the warmth of his breath. She inched just a bit to the right, knocking into the chair beside her and chuckling awkwardly as she turned to face him, holding in her own compliments about his costume.
Hans Westergaard did not deserve her praise. He'd ghosted her only a few weeks back after a month of what she had thought were wonderful dates. Apparently, Hans had not felt the same way.
She opened her mouth now as she watched his gaze slowly travel down her dress.
"You, you… look suitable as well!"
Hans chuckled as she cringed.
"You always did have a way with words."
"So it was my rambling that put you off."
Shut up, Anna. Shut up, shut up. She tore her gaze away from his, pretending to be fascinated with a distant corner of the room.
"Not at all," he answered breathily. She felt him move closer.
"S-sorry. They must have spiked the punch. Haha!" Her fingers twitched by her sides until she hugged her arms against herself for the sake of not appearing too self-conscious as she backed up. This time, she managed not to bump into any chairs. Her stomach fluttered when she looked up to catch him smiling at her.
"Anna!"
Her eyes darted toward the open doors. The fluttering in her belly turned into a heavy weight when she found Elsa and Kristoff rushing toward her. Anna removed herself even farther from Hans, not wanting the exchange to be misunderstood. There was nothing to misunderstand, after all.
"E-Elsa! Kristoff, hey! Nice costume…"
She couldn't help glancing back and forth between dashing vampiric Hans and disheveled zombie Kristoff in his bruisy, gruesome makeup. Kristoff wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders and gave Hans a violent glance before he took a moment himself to admire Anna's dress.
"Elsa said you were here as an angel, but wow. Just. Wow!"
She blushed, but the statement did not have quite the same effect on her as Hans's had.
"Ahem…" Elsa raised her eyebrow at Hans before wrapping her own arm around Anna and, together with Kristoff, slowly leading her little sister away from the dining room and back into the boisterous antics of the nearby ballroom. "I thought you said you'd never talk to him again?"
Anna gently freed herself from their protective arms, blinking at the two of them.
"I didn't. He talked to me. It was nothing."
"Nothing? Anna..."
She glared at Elsa. Was it necessary to get into this right now?
"I'm with Elsa," Kristoff chimed in, only serving to irritate Anna further. "Need I remind you how miserable you were the last few weeks all because the guy ignored you?"
"Maaaaaybe he lost his phone…?"
Kristoff and Elsa both groaned.
"Come on, guys. People lose their phones all the time."
Kristoff rolled his eyes, but Elsa just patted her on the shoulder. "Whatever you need to tell yourself. Just… stay away from him. He's trouble. See?" She pointed one black manicured finger back toward the dining room. Anna turned back to find Hans already charming a pretty brunette in a tiger-girl costume.
Her heart sank, but she was grateful for the reality check.
"Okay, already. Can we stop talking about him and just enjoy ourselves?"
Somewhere, a grandfather clock began to chime, echoing throughout the house. Anna counted ten chimes while she danced with Kristoff and Elsa among the other guests.
That's right. All she had to do tonight was enjoy herself.
Anna wasn't sure how much time had passed. The music, dancing and alcohol kind of made the night pass by in a fun blur. She stood together with Elsa and a woman from sales named Merida, who'd come to the party as a cute witch. They were just discussing Merida's strange triplet brothers when Elsa paused the conversation.
"Hey, I'm parched. Do either of you want punch?"
"Sure!" Anna smiled. Merida shook her head. She'd had enough to drink for the night.
"Be right back!" Elsa winked and ducked into the crowd to weave her way across the ballroom.
"It must be nice to have a sibling closer in age. Seems like the two of ye get on well," Merida said.
Anna nodded, hearing that distant grandfather clock start to go off again.
"We've always been pretty close… she's a bit too protective at times, but I know I'm lucky."
"Heh! Mine are just wee devils."
Anna chuckled, though inside she had thought that clock was rather obnoxious. Could the entire mansion hear it? Would they have to listen to it a full twelve times?
"I'm sure Elsa has had the same thought about me from time to time," Anna admitted. "Love your costume, by the way!"
Merida perked up and looked down at her black, ruffled dress. Her pointy hat wiggled as she moved her head. "Thanks! My mother helped me make it."
What was that, ten chimes now? So obnoxious.
"Wait, you made that?!" She'd assumed the other redhead had bought it from a costume store.
Merida nodded, her chin jutting up with well-deserved pride.
"Took us a month, but aye."
The clock chimed midnight then. That was when everything went wrong. Merida noticed before Anna. Her electric blue eyes widened as she turned toward the crowd. Then, Anna noticed the screams too. The black lights flickered as a deafening groan filled the room, which sounded partly like the very walls and floorboards might be torn from the room. The other guests began to run in all different directions. Some fled for the nearest doors and windows. Glass shattered as some threw themselves outside. Others ran into each other. Merida and Anna clasped hands, staring in horror. Anna's grasp tightened when she caught sight of Kristoff stumbling nearby. She almost called out to him, but she stopped.
"Is it just me or does something seem wrong with him?"
"Aye, it's not just you…"
Kristoff paused, his gaze oddly lifeless as he stared at an old lady cross in front of him. He suddenly grabbed the poor woman and promptly bit into her neck, blood gushing from his mouth while he began to eat her. There was no other word for it.
The two redheads screamed, having seen all they needed to understand they needed to leave. They searched the crowd wildly for a way out. One exit was blocked by a mess of armored guests clashing weapons. Animals and monsters alike ran rampant.
"Anna, there!" Merida pointed to a door behind a line of one of the tables with refreshments. The girls nodded and screeched as a unicorn charged in front of them, nearly running them through with its silver horn. Then, Anna grabbed for Merida and made a run for the door, not stopping to look back or to make eye contact with any of the guests that paused to look at them.
The door led them into a narrow corridor which opened into the vast entrance hall, where the chaos was no better. Together, they ran past other screaming guests and sprinted up the grand staircase.
They ran through the ghost of a young girl crying at the top of the stairs. Anna remembered having seen the girl earlier, Alice.
Merida and Anna looked left and right. A werewolf and the tiger girl from earlier were wrestling on the floor to the right, so the two women ran toward the left. They ran to an empty bedroom near the end of the corridor and slammed the door behind them.
"WHAT was all that?!" Anna yelped as she fumbled with the door lock, trembling with relief and panic when she managed to slide it in place. "Am I awake? Are you awake? What did they put in the punch?!"
Merida was equally bewildered. "Okay, okay, let's just.. calm down. What the devil did we just witness?"
"Chaos. Total chaos."
"But what did we actually see? A zombie, a ghost, a… ah!"
"What?!" Anna looked around, frightened by Merida's exclamation until she realized the girl was pointing at her wings.
"Those definitely just moved!"
Anna glanced over her shoulder and cried out as her wings spread open. The rippling sensation in her back was not unpleasant, but totally foreign to her.
"What's happening?! Wait, why haven't you changed into a witch?"
Merida looked up as she tapped at her witch hat. "Maybe I have?"
"So…try some magic!"
Merida stared dumbly. "Magic like what?"
"I don't know! You're the witch!"
"Hem… okayyyy…" Merida looked about the room. Then, she removed her hat and closed her eyes.
Anna waited a few seconds before she asked, "What are you doing…?"
"I'm, I'm concentrating! I've never witched before, have I? Now, shush, you!"
Her nose wrinkled as she reached into her witch's hat as if searching for something. Then, her bright eyes opened as her face lit up with victory. She slowly pulled out a small, blinking rabbit.
"AHAH!"
Anna smacked herself on the forehead. "Oh, great! That'll protect us!"
"Arr, well what's so useful about an angel? Couldn't you have dressed up like a… a…"
"Like a what?"
"Something useful!"
Something slammed against the bedroom door. The girls both squeaked.
"Is somebody in there?!" a voice called from outside.
Anna's face lit up when she recognized the voice.
"Punz!?"
"Anna?!"
"Yes! Are you okay?"
"Yes, but what the heck is going on?! It's crazy downstairs! I came up to hide!"
"Anna… wait…" Merida reached for Anna as she approached the door.
"What? She's my cousin, it's okay!"
Merida grabbed for Anna's arm as she reached toward the lock. Anna frowned.
"What was her costume?" Merida asked.
Anna squinted in thought as she tried to recall. But she hadn't seen Rapunzel up to that point in the evening. There were so many people there that they just hadn't bumped into each other.
"I'm not sure… hey, Punz? What did you come to the party as?"
She heard her cousin's sheepish laugh from the other side of the door. "Just a chef."
"See? She's fine!"
Without hesitation, Anna undid the door lock.
Merida squawked in a panic. "Oy, w-wait!"
The door suddenly knocked forward into them. Merida and Anna stumbled back, steadying each other as they jerked their heads toward the doorway.
There they found a blood-splattered, giggling Rapunzel with a stained cleaver raised high and ready for them.
Author's Notes: So, this came from a writer's prompt on Discord, but is also hugely inspired by the "Halloween" ep from Buffy season 2. This is just going to be a short fun series (three or four chapters) for Halloween. :) Also, if anyone wants to help me out with Merida's dialogue, I'd appreciate a private message for assistance with getting her voice right.
Diz Corp is a play on Disney. The idea is this huge corporation is throwing a huge event for its employees, who don't all necessarily know each other.
What are the witch and the angel to do against a homicidal chef? I know cliffhangers are the devil. But this is a Halloween story, so sue me. :P
